Jack, My round hatch cover was cracked all the way through on about 75% of the circumference. A little pressure on the center of the cover and the cracks opened up. I do not go out in surf very often, but I think a couple of waves over the front would have split the thing wide open. On my oval hatch some of the cracks were all the way through the cover and spreading. The others were not just surface crazing. They looked to be 80% of the way through the rubber. Since some had gone all the way through I beleive it was just a matter of time until all the cracks were all the way through the hatch. Maybe I am just paranoid, but open cracks running across or almost all the way round a hatch cover really bothers me. Mark J. Arnold MJAkayker_at_aol.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
<Maybe I am just paranoid, but open cracks running across or almost all the way round a hatch cover really bothers me.> Hey, no --- that'd bother me, too. It was just starting to sound as if we were all getting upset about surface stuff. Cracks most of the way through, Mark? That's a totally different story! Jack *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Jack wrote: <. Cracks most of the way through, Mark? That's a totally different story! Since I started this thread, I decided to rechecked the cracks on my hatch and they are structural ....probably 70% to 80% deep. Just wanted to alert paddlers to check the underside by flexing as the top looks perfect. frank montbriand 43N50'07" 73W25'22" *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: Mark J. Arnold > My round hatch cover was cracked all the way through on about 75% of the > circumference. A little pressure on the center of the cover and the cracks > opened up. I do not go out in surf very often, but I think a couple of waves > over the front would have split the thing wide open. > > On my oval hatch some of the cracks were all the way through the cover and > spreading. The others were not just surface crazing. They looked to be 80% > of the way through the rubber. Since some had gone all the way through I > beleive it was just a matter of time until all the cracks were all the way > through the hatch. ================= I would like to say 'likewise'. i have heard folks describe VCP as the *best* available, yet mine are like time bombs ready to fail. They are probably the most likely source of failure that could seriously injure *me* while paddling. to a casual observer, the lids look great. yet i could easily poke my small finger though the front round lid. the rear oval is almost as bad. History: hatch lids on and off boat less than 10 times/season for 3 years. Stored out of sunlight. Easy field use... if i had not looked at these things closely, i would be unaware of their *extreme* weakness. I looked, but couldn't find a web site for VCP. if someone knows it, please post it to that i can communicate directly with VCP. someone was checking with VCP, if they have responded, please let me know. if you own VCP hatches that are about 3 yrs old, i suggest that you check them out closely . it's hard to believe that i'm probably going to spend more money to replace a product often described as *the best*, when these are such miserable pieces of garbage. bye bye bliven *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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